u/Tr0llTurkey

Hey everyone! I’m hoping to get some advice, experiences, or just some reassurance from other Boykin owners because I’m honestly pretty scared and worried about my little guy.

I got my Boykin, Scout, a little over a month ago. I’ve wanted a Boykin Spaniel since I was a kid, and I grew up with spaniels as both family members and hunting companions. I had never owned a Boykin until Scout, and he has genuinely been everything I could’ve ever asked for.

He’s energetic, incredibly smart, and my little Velcro baby. I’m an HVAC journeyman and joke that he’s my little apprentice because I take him everywhere I can. He’s truly my best buddy, and I’ve already spent quite a bit at the vet because I want to make sure I’m doing everything I can for him.

When I first got Scout, I noticed he was scratching at his ears quite a bit. The breeder told me he had been regularly supervised by a veterinarian since birth and provided records. Even so, I took him to my vet literally the next day because I figured a second opinion never hurts. I was told he was perfectly healthy.

About a week later, he was still scratching his ears, and I also started noticing something strange with his urination. He knows when he needs to go, goes to the door, and otherwise seems to understand potty training really well. But he would sometimes urinate without even squatting. He could be walking around and suddenly have a little stream or even a puddle come out without seeming to realize it.

I took him to another vet, and we found out he had a double ear infection and a UTI.

We started antibiotics. Thankfully, the ear infections cleared up after about a week, but the UTI has been much more stubborn.

The vet saw rods/bacteria still present, so we started a second round of the same antibiotic at a slightly increased dose. Scout had also gained about 3 pounds since the first visit, so he’s growing like a weed otherwise.

We’re currently on day 6 of the second round, and I’m still not seeing much improvement with the urinary issues.

I’m not talking about an occasional puppy accident or excited pee. Those I completely understand. It’s more that he will sometimes be walking around and have urine come out without squatting or seeming to know it’s happening. He’ll squat and pee outside, get up, and sometimes still have a little urine come out afterward. He also sometimes needs to pee again only 20 minutes after having what seemed like a big pee.

There’s no straining, no blood, and he doesn’t seem to be in pain. He’s otherwise his normal crazy, energetic, happy self.

I’m taking him out constantly .. usually every hour or two, sometimes even more frequently, and I’m making sure he stays properly hydrated. I don’t want to restrict his water just because he’s having accidents.

Our vet said that if this round of antibiotics doesn’t clear it up, they want to do another culture and potentially send it out for sensitivity testing to determine exactly which antibiotics the bacteria responds to. They also mentioned that, if it continues, they may want to do an ultrasound to make sure there isn’t an anatomical issue he was born with that could be contributing to this.

That possibility honestly scares the hell out of me.

Has anyone with a Boykin experienced something similar with a puppy? Especially recurrent/persistent UTIs, urine leaking while walking, or a puppy seeming unaware that he’s urinating?

I’m not looking for anyone to diagnose him over Reddit , I’m already working closely with his vet. I’d really just love to hear from anyone who has been through something similar, especially if your puppy eventually turned out to have something completely manageable.

Scout means the world to me, and I’ve already fallen completely in love with this little guy. I just want to make sure I’m doing everything I can for him and not overlooking something important.

Thanks in advance to everyone who takes the time to read this and share their experiences. I’ve learned so much from this sub already, and I really appreciate this community.